S. 5570 — Ready to Work Act of 2026

This section states congressional findings that long-term unemployment reached its highest level in four years by 2026, with 1.8 million workers unemployed for six months or more in July 2026 and accounting for 25.5 percent of all unemployed individuals, alongside a 42-point drop in job market confidence and rising public concern over artificial intelligence reducing job opportunities. It sets the Act's purposes to help individuals overcome workforce barriers such as transportation and child care, deliver targeted funding to local areas for job creation, and award grants supporting innovation in high-poverty regions with chronic joblessness.

This section establishes definitions for terms used in the Act, including eligible worker (an individual at least 18 years old, authorized to work in the United States, unemployed or not a full-time student for at least 27 weeks, and seeking employment for at least 4 weeks), program position (a temporary job designed to lead to long-term employment, including transitional jobs, registered apprenticeships, and certain national service positions), participating employer (government agencies, nonprofits, employment social enterprises, or businesses, including community-based organizations acting as employers of record), and related terms drawn from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

This section establishes a jobs initiative for eligible workers, administered by the Secretary through 4-year agreements with local boards that may partner with community-based organizations. It requires payments covering wages and compensation (minus any employer share), career services, supportive services, training services, and program administration, and mandates local board applications with 4-year plans detailing participant numbers, service strategies, partnerships with labor and education entities, performance measures, oversight controls, and alignment with specified workforce, SNAP, TANF, housing, and veteran programs.

This section establishes a competitive grant program authorizing the Secretary to award 4-year grants to local boards for jobs programs in high-poverty areas (poverty rate of at least 20 percent for 3 years) or areas with low prime working-age (25-54) employment-to-population ratios for 3 years. It permits modifications to standards on program timelines, single-employer limits, wage funding durations, cost categories, and employer shares; requires performance plans, stakeholder engagement, resident benefits, evaluations, and best-practice dissemination; and authorizes such sums as necessary for FY2027 and each subsequent year.